You have a great idea which you know will be successful. Now you need to get buy in from others to bring it to reality. While everyone possesses the ability to influence others to some degree, you may be sabotaging your own idea before it even gets off the ground.

You already know that launching and developing a good idea takes massive amounts of influence. Many fantastic ideas lie on the ash heap of history merely because someone couldn’t influence others to adopt the idea. But you may not know that you might be sabotaging your own idea and influence. Here are some of the worst ways to sabotage your influence.

It not only takes energy and effort to get the owner to buy into change, it also takes energy to get the other salespeople to buy into it. By experiencing success yourself, you are able to find some of the forward thinking salespeople and allow them to be early adopters. They can become your advocates and walking testimonials for further implementation.

Stories are powerful tools of influence. Throughout history, stories have played a central role in changing people’s minds. Influencing through narrative is as old as mankind and it still works to influence change. Let's delve in to how can you better craft and tell stories to influence others.

None of us start with a blank sheet of paper. We all have been shaped by others, and had people, events and information draw some lines, colors and shading on our blank slate. We take those lines, draw around them, and create something new. Understanding what shapes us is key to moving forward. Know what has been written into our lives allows us to translate it into a better language.

Think of the favorite leaders under whom you have served? They probably pressed you and squeezed more talent and energy out of you than you ever imagined was within you. They probably drove you mad at times as they popped the cork of self-limitations, BUT THEY INFLUENCED YOU!

How do we discover if someone is the right person, possessing the needed potential to grow fully and move the entire team toward the vision or dream? This is the vital question of leadership and influence. Being able to accurately predict potential and to realize that potential ensures right-fit high-potential talent that creates real competitive advantage in employer branding, engagement and retention, and business performance at minimal cost.

Your goal as a leader should be to find the people who hold the most potential and develop them towards greatness. Let your experience and insights as a professor, boss, or consultant benefit the growth of their PQ. Pour into them and watch them begin to flourish as their potential turns into true influence and ability.